Method of taking dental impressions



C. H. STUBBINS.

METHOD OF TAKING DENTAL IMPRESSIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1921.

Patented Mar. 7 1922,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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FIGJ.

W! T/VESSES C. H. STUBBINS METHOD OF TAKING DENTAL IMPRESSIONS.APPUCA-TION FILED-JUNE 8. 1 921.

1 309,038. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. F H3 .3.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON H. s'rUBBr'Ns, or AsrrNwALL, PENNSYLVANIA.

IHETI -IOD F TAKING DENTAL IMPRESSIONS.

Application filed June 8,

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, CLINTON H. STUB- BINS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Aspinwall, in the county of Allegheny andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMethods of Taking Dental Impressions, of which the following is aspecification.

In taking impressions of mouths for forming dental plates, the usualpractice is to place a body of moldable or conformable material, such asplaster of Paris, upon an impression tray and to press the tray againstthe portion of the mouth of which it is desired to obtain theimpression. The tray is manipulated entirely by hand in such a manner asto obtain as accurate an impression as is possible under the conditionsof operation. This practice is objectionable; first, among otherreasons, because it is very diflicult, if not entirely impossible, toobtain an accurate impression of all the irregularities. of the-mouth,and, secondly, because when pressure is applied to the tray and the traymanipulated, some of the molding material occasionally falls .from thetray to the great discomfort of the patient.

The present invention relates to methods of taking impressions for thepurpose explained, and the object thereof is to provide a method wherebya true and accurate impression may be easily taken. even by those notparticularly skilled in the art, and without the liability of causingdiscomfort to the patient.

In the practice of the invention an impression of either an upper orlower jaw or gum of a mouth is formed by placing under pressure a bodyof fluid molding material contained in a pocket which has a wall offlexible material on the side adjacent to the surface of which theimpression is being taken and a rigid wallon the other side. The pocketmay be formed by a thin fabric and may be laid upon the usual or anydesired form of impression tray which forms the rigid wall. hen theimpression tray, provided wit-h such a pocket, is properly positioned ina mouth, the material for taking the impression may be caused to flowinto the pocket through a suitable conduit connected to it, and pressureis applied to the material by the force impelli'ng the flow of thematerial into the pocket. The pressure upon the molding material causesthe material to accurately conform to all the irregof view beingindicated by Specification of Letters Patent. H Patented Li 7 1922 1921.Serial No. 475,906.

ularities of the month without moving the impression tray. After themold has been thus formed, the pressure may be removed from thematerial, and, allowing for a brief set-ting period, the tray and themold which it contains may be removed-from the mouth. The completed moldis entirely confined within the pocket and is faced by the wall offlexible material. If desired the mold may be removed from the tray,which may be im mediately used for taking a further impression. I

\Yhile the practice of the invention is unllmlted to the use of anyparticular form of apparatus, it may be advantageously practlced by theapparatus shown in the accompanying sheets of drawings, of which Fig. 1is a front view of apparatus for supporting impression trays; Fig. 2 aplan view thereof; Fig. 3 a combined vertical section and side view ofthe apparatus, the plane the broken line III-III, Fig. l; and Fig. at aplan view to enlarged scale of an impression tray for the upper awor gumof a mouth, the tray being provided with a flexible pocket.

The apparatus includes means for rigidly supporting two impressiontrays, one for the upper and the other for the lower jaw, eitherseparately or simultaneously, and means for separately adjusting thepositions of the trays. The support for the upper tray 1 comprises apair of horizontally disposed rods 2 which are mounted for longitudinaladjustment in a frame 3 and may be held in their desired adjustablepositions by means of set screws 4. In a similar way, the lowerimpression tray 5 is supported'by a pair of rods 6 mounted forlongitudinal adjustment in a frame 7. The frames3 and? may be attachedto each other for vertical adjustment by means of rods 8 extendingthrough the frames and provided with suitable clamping nuts. Attached tothe upper frame 3, there is a stem 9 clamped for verticaladjustment to abracket 10 by means of a set screw 11. To hold the bracket 10 firmly inposition, it is attached to a strap 12 adapted to extend around the headof a patient and to be clamped thereon by means of a screw 13 and athumb nut 14. The back portion of the strap 12 may have attached to it apositioning pad 15 adapted to fit the back of a patients head so thatthe strap may not slip upwardly 0r downwardly.

For preventing movement of the lower jaw when an lmpression 1s belngtaken of it, chin-engaging members 16 and 25 may be tend for clampingthe plate to the frame 3.

This chin-engaging member presses onthe front of a chin. The lowerchin-engaging member 25 lies below the chin and is adjustably attachedto the member 16 by means of set screws 20. 'By properly adjusting themembers 25 and 1G, they may be brought to the required position forfirmly holding the lower jaw against being either closed or openedduring the impressiontaking operation.

In Fig. 'the upper impression tray 1 is illustrated to enlarged scale,and is shown as supporting a pocketQl which may be formed of flexiblematerial such as cloth, then rubber and the like. ,The pocket isentirely closedexcept for its connection to a conduit 22 through whichthe molding material is caused to flow. Tube 22 extends to a suitablesource of supply of such material such as an injector e gun or pumpfilled with the material and which may be operated first to force thematerial into the pocket and thereafter to apply pressure to thematerial.

; When taking" an impression of the upper jaw or gum, according to themethod described herein and with the. apparatus shown in the drawings, atray 1 pro ided with a pocket 21 issupported by the frame 3 and thestrap 2is clamped to the-head of a patient. The supporting rods 2 of thetray and the stem!) attached to the frame 3 are then adjusted to bringthe impression tray to its properposition in the mouth of the patient."Molding material is then caused to flow through the conduit 22 into thepocket 21 and pressure isapplied to the material to cause it to conformaccurately to the configurations of the mouth. After a brief time hasbeen allowed for set ting,- the apparatus is removed from the head ofthe patient and the pocket contaim set my hand.

ing the mold may be removed from the int pression tray. .From this mold,the negative mold for making the dental plate is formed, it beingunderstood that it is. un; necessary to'remove from the mold theflexible material forming its face. .In a similar manner animpression'of a lower jaw or "gummay bemade by lacing a pocket in theimpression tray 5 ant adjusting it and the tion may be practicedotherwise than as specifically described herein, andwith the use ofother forms of apparatus. 7

..-I claim:

1. The method of-taking an impression of a-mouth for forming a dentalplate,

which comprises placing under pressure a body-of flu d molding materialcontained in a pocket having a flexible wall'on the side 7 adjacent tothe surface ofwhichan impres sion is being taken and having a rigidwallon the other side, whereby said material faced bytlieflexible wall iscausedto conform to the mouth- I F. i

i The method oftaking an impression of a mouth for forming a dentalplate, which comprises firmly positioning-in the mouth of a patient apocket having a flexible wall on the side adjacent to thesurface ofwhich an impression is to be taken and having a rigid wall on'the otherside,'causing a body of fluidmolding material to flow-into said pocket,and applying pressureto said body of molding material in the pocket. 1 jIn testimony whereof, I. have hereunto CLINTON H. STUBBINS. Witness: p l

EpwiN JOHNS. P

